Tim Kaine’s Wife Anne Holton Said They Were ‘Laughing Hysterically’ After His DNC Speech

By ANN COMPTON

Philadelphia — Jul 28, 2016, 12:25 PM ET

ABC News Radio/Paul Gleiser

WATCH Tim Kaine Reacts to DNC Speech, Vice Presidential Nomination

In her first interview since husband Senator Tim Kaine was nominated as vice-president, Anne Holton told ABC’s Ann Compton, “He and I are both very excited about not just having a woman president, but having men working for the first woman president! Isn’t that exciting? And he gets that!”

In her exclusive ABC News Radio interview from Philadelphia, Holton revealed that after Kaine gave the biggest speech of his life at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, the couple unwound at their hotel by reading aloud many of the “dad” jokes about him on Twitter.

“We got home late last night and someone sent a link to the Twitter thread that went viral,” she said. “One of the lines was ‘President Obama was a cool dad and Tim is a dad’s dad.’ The jokes went on and on and he and I ended the day laughing hysterically!”

Before his convention speech, Holton said Kaine kept the atmosphere backstage loose, even playing music by The Who, Peter Gabriel and other favorite artists. “Getting psyched up for the speech, he had all the aides laughing hysterically at Tim’s ‘pump up’ music list. All of those things help with stress.”

Holton, herself an accomplished attorney, judge and, until this week, the Education Secretary of Virginia, is no stranger to politics. Her father, Linwood Holton, was the Republican governor of Virginia (1970-1974). She said she grew up in a home where problems were viewed as “opportunities.”

What does she think of First Lady Michelle Obama’s comments Monday night that when someone acts like a bully, her motto is “when they go low, we will go high”?

“We’re talking about positive values and experiences” in this campaign, Holton said. “The theme is all about hope. We’ve got so much positive to sell and I really think that’s what America is and wants to hear.”

What kind of Vice-President will Tim Kaine be? Will he give advice?

“That’s one of the things Hillary has told him that she wants,” Holton said. “She needs him to tell her the things she needs to hear.”

“I encouraged him from the beginning to get in to public service,” said Governor Holton, who noted that Tim Kaine’s first campaign was for local government in Richmond, Virginia. “After a year or so he advised announced he was running for City Council. I said, ‘You’re crazy! City Council is the place where they bury budding politicians.’ But Tim handled that very well.”

The majority African-American city council elected and then re-elected Tim Kaine as Richmond Mayor before Kaine went on to become Virginia governor and then United States senator.

Asked about his governing philosophy and what he has advised Senator Kaine, the father-in-law said, “Get the facts and make your decisions only after you know everything that is involved.”

Former Governor Holton, now 92, said his final piece of advice to his son-in-law was, “Don’t let the pressure get you!”